


Sleep

by AnaVakarian (orphan_account)



Series: 31 days of Wayhaven [6]
Category: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: 31 Days of Wayhaven, F/M, Fatherly Adam, Perfect British accent, Sleepovers, Storytelling, Sweet Adam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:36:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26882281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/AnaVakarian
Relationships: Detective/Adam du Mortain, Female Detective/Adam du Mortain
Series: 31 days of Wayhaven [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1940107
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	Sleep

“Detective…?” 

Damn it. 

Adam’s voice echoes in the empty police station like fireworks in the Carnival and I grimace, burying my head in between my arms with a huff. My daily pile of reports laughs at me, neatly piled up on the table. Untouched.

I look at the clock. Is it really this late already? Have I forgotten to text him and tell him I will have to stay for longer?

“Who’s that…? Is it my daddies?” a little sleepy voice raises from a bulge of blankets on my sofa. 

One hour… It took me one full hour to make her **_sleep_** and now Adam woke her up. 

Great.

Her brown eyes gaze at me from under the cover and I smile softly. Resigned. “It’s just a friend of mine, Cara. Daddy will be back soon. Go back to sleep.”

The blankets shift slightly and the 6-year-old girl uncovers her head fully this time. “But I can’t now…” she complains with a huff, giving me an exasperated look that suits more a teenager than a child. If I had any hope of her falling sleep again, it’s long gone.

I sigh again. 

I like children, I promise I do. Just not while I work.

In that same instant, Adam steps into my office with his usual stern expression as a greeting, although his gaze travels to the sofa nearly immediately. A deep frown makes the crease between his eyebrows deepen, exchanging looks with Cara. Then, he turns his head and dedicates me a questioning gaze.

“She’s Verda’s daughter. Her sister was not feeling well and Verda had to take her to the doctor’s. Eric is out on a business trip, so I volunteered to look after her for a little while until they come back…” I explain with a tired gesture and I cannot avoid seeing a hint of amusement on Adam’s icy green eyes.

“Interesting…” is the only word he pronounces before turning to the girl, comfortably nestled in my sofa, staring at him with wide-open eyes. “I’m sorry I woke you up. My name is Adam, what’s your name?.”

Hang on. Is that actually Adam’s voice? My jaw drops at the easiness and softness of his tone. 

“I’m Cara… And it’s ok. I was awake anyway... “ she states, eyeing the Unit Bravo leader with sufficiency, tugging at the corner of the blankets. Then, her eyes light up a little bit, suddenly recognizing who my friend is. “Oh! You are the strong one!” she says with uncontained admiration.

Adam smiles proudly with her words and the gesture is so unusual and precious that I mirror it with the sight of dimples appearing on his cheeks. 

“Wait… we’ve met before, haven’t we?” he asks playfully, sitting on the edge of the sofa, right at her feet, with a level of familiarity I’ve never seen him display before. 

There’s no stern tone, no stiffness in his body and no ice in his green eyes. He seems… just relaxed. Quite a different picture of the _almighty leader_ I am used to. And I can’t stop looking at the sweet scene that is unfolding in front of my eyes.

“After the Carnival…” 

“That is true… And, if I remember properly, that night you had far too many sweets...”

“I had a tummy ache…” she confesses under his understanding gaze. Then, Cara grimaces at the thought and touches her tummy, but I’m sure that she will be more than willing to repeat the deed if the occasion arises again.

The scene is so lovely that it just makes me smile again. This is a whole new side of Adam I have never had the chance to see before. I am quite aware that he is old… Very old, indeed. And it leads me to so many questions… Did he have children at some point in his life? A partner? A family? The doubts pile up in my brain and itch in my tongue, but I stop myself from asking them. Knowing how well he treasures his past, perhaps is not a good idea to question him when the moment is so sweet and perfect. 

As if hinting my thoughts, Adam gives me a sideways look, like acknowledging my presence there but deliberately ignoring me. However, he doesn’t look at me but at the pile of files and my open laptop over the table, realizing how much his entrance has interrupted my job. 

“Cara, I’ve got an idea...” he says, turning back to the girl that looks more excited than ever. “To make up for my mischief - waking you up - shall I read you a bedtime story?”

Verda’s daughter nearly jumps in the bed of excitement. “Yes, please!” she cries with a giggle. 

Something melts a little bit in me while he leans over to reach one of the books on the floor before tucking the girl back into the blanket. 

The strange story about a dinosaur that seems to have some sort of eating disorder and enjoys far too much pooing sounds just delightful in his perfect English accent, and I cannot help but stare at the completely different side of Adam I’ve got in front of me. Far away from the usual stern leader, spare on words, rigid in extremis and cold as an icicle.

And I like it. I like _him_ _._

And, suddenly, something new and strange bubbles in my chest. Just a vision. A brief image of a very far and perhaps ideal future. Just a mere mirage. 

Being together? Sharing a life?

Daydreaming, I rest my elbow on the table and my chin on my hand, captivated by the scene. 

Cara’s eyes are starting to close and I do hope not to wake up from this.


End file.
